With John Cena and AJ Styles recently calling time on their careers, Seth Rollins is aiming to help WWE build its future before he also hangs up his boots.
Two of pro wrestlings most celebrated stars of the past 25 years, John Cena and AJ Styles were both retired by GUNTHER within two months of each other, with Cena bowing out at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13 and AJ Styles at WWE Royal Rumble 2026.
While some of Cena and Styles’ peers such as CM Punk and Randy Orton remain active and at the top of WWE, it’s evident that a new crop of superstars are on the verge of breaking through and taking over.
Speaking to the Boston Herald, WWE veteran Seth Rollins spoke of his desire to leave WWE a better place than he found it, conveying the importance of building the future of the company following the retirement of WWE’s older stars.
Rollins said:
“My goal has always been to leave the place better than I found it.
“A lot of the guys above me are starting to leave, like we just saw with John Cena and AJ Styles retiring in the past four months. That’s going to keep happening more and more as this generation ages out, and we need to start building the future.
“I’m closer to the end of my career than the beginning, but I still feel like I have a lot to give. I’m excited to be able to do that as we march forward to WrestleMania.”
WWE’s Next Top Stars In Waiting
Seth Rollins has had some first-hand, up close and personal experience with two WWE stars widely considered to be the future of the company: Bron Breakker and Oba Femi.
Breakker was brought in by Rollins as his right hand man in The Vision on the Raw after WrestleMania 41, with Breakker eventually usurping his mentor just six months later and putting him on the shelf.
With Rollins out for revenge against The Vision and Paul Heyman, he recently crossed paths with Heyman’s client Brock Lesnar on Monday Night Raw.
However, before Lesnar and Rollins could lock horns, Oba Femi made his entrance and dispatched “The Beast” with a Fall from Grace.
Rollins’ message to Heyman after this saw the former World Heavyweight Champion give his endorsement to Femi, with “The Ruler” seeming poised for massive success in WWE for years to come.
Which WWE Stars Will Retire Next?
Two names seem the likeliest to hang up their boots next in WWE: Rey Mysterio and Brock Lesnar.
It has been reported that Lesnar could potentially retire from WWE at SummerSlam 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Mysterio has been rumored for a WrestleMania 42 match against GUNTHER, and given that “The Ring General” now has a penchant for ending legend’s careers, that bout could perhaps see the WWE Hall of Famer put his career on the line.
With Mysterio currently injured however, the match is also up in the air.
